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Clad in their maroon traditional costumes, 10 men from Sakteng appeared yesterday in front of the election office.
They were there to fulfil the process of filling up election forms, a prerequisite for filing in their nominations for the numerous local government posts.
The 10 rough-looking men were among those contesting for the gup, mangmi and tshogpa posts in the upcoming local government election.
Two recently passed the second functional literacy test and the rest completed the first.
The group walked for two days until Phongmey, before hitching a ride in a taxi towards Trashigang. Phongmey is about 35km from Trashigang.
Many of them said they foresaw opportunity to bring in developments to their community, besides exposure and experience they might gain in the course of running one big community.
Tswangpay, 36, who wants to contest the post of mangmi, said they wished to complete all paperwork and initial formalities to avoid any delay in the upcoming election.
“We have to make sure we have our no-objection-certificate, medical certificate and other such documents on time,” he said. “We live very far and can’t afford to be running to Trashigang for small formalities.”
Tswangpay attended non-formal education.
He intends to bring changes to his community that he said remained cut off for a long time.
Rinchen Letha, 31, contesting for gup’s post, said this was a call towards realising his ambition to do something big for his community and earn a reputation for himself.
“People of my community believe I can make a difference,” the class VIII drop out said. “It’s on their instance and belief that has me vying for the most important post in the local government.”
Except for two, the remaining 10 interested candidates for the upcoming election were interested in the gup and mangmi posts.
Younten Jamtsho, a retired lay monk, 38 has been a tshogpa for almost two years, and intends to contend for the same post.
“Being a tshogpa I’ve learnt, we’re more close to people and understand the issues facing them better,” he said.
He explained the salary structure of the tshogpas was unfair, especially given that they had to do most of the running-around, understood issues facing each individual in a community that made them the real representatives.
“For these reasons no one is interested in becoming a tshogpa,” he said. Others contesting for other two prestigious posts agreed many in their community expressed dissatisfaction over the miserly pay.
“In our entire community in Sakteng, we’ve only five people contesting for the tshogpa post,” he said. “The government really ought to do something about it.”
Failure to act on this matter would soon lead to disappearing of the post.
“The tshogpas are not given enough salary but the parliament members are entitled to state funds for campaigning,” one said, adding that no one raises this issues at the capital. “Our previous representatives, though not qualified, spoke on our behalf and bore our interests in mind.”
Rest of the candidates from Merak and Sakteng are expected to reach Trashigang today.
The dzongkhag electoral officer Sonam Wangdi said they were here to learn what to do before election and fill up the forms.
“We hope to have all the rest,” he said. “These group will hopefully inform the rest in their village.”
Source: Kuenselonline
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